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Hate Crimes and Xenophobia
View this clip from SAALT's award-winning documentary "Raising Our Voices - South Asian Americans Address Hate." Contact saalt@saalt.org to find out how you can host a screening.
South Asians have long experienced xenophobic rhetoric, bias and violence. South Asians who first immigrated to the United States were subjected to anti-immigrant rhetoric and driven out of towns where they settled. South Asians arriving after 1965 experienced bias in the workplace including the glass ceiling and accent discrimination. In the 1980s, South Asian working class immigrants who moved into urban areas faced targeting and alienation. Examples of such incidents include the assaults and hate crimes perpetrated by the Dotbusters against Indian immigrants in the 1980s in Jersey City, New Jersey.
After September 11th, South Asians experienced an unprecedented increase of profiling, discrimination and hate crimes. Sikhs and Muslims especially felt the brunt of this post 9/11 backlash.
In addition, around the country, xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment has increasingly permeated the media and political sphere. Candidates of South Asian descent have also reported encountering intolerant comments by their opponents. Such rhetoric made by and about political and public figures can foster similar perceptions on the part of the public and perpetuate misconceptions and stereotypes about the community.
As part of our mission to ensure that South Asians are able to freely and equally participate in American life, SAALT educates the community, media, and policymakers when hate crimes occur and xenophobic rhetoric arises. Working with ally organizations in the Arab, Muslim and Sikh communities, SAALT urges the Department of Justice to investigate individual hate crimes and calls for the enforcement of strong hate crimes legislation. SAALT also releases factsheets and "know your rights" materials, and monitors incidents of xenophobic rhetoric in political discourse.
SAALT Resources on Hate Crimes and Xenophobia
- American Backlash: Terrorist Bring War Home in More Ways Than One Report on hate crimes and bias incidents against the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian community following 9/11 (2001)
- Documented Incidents of Xenophobia and Intolerance in Political Discourse --Part 1: Comments Aimed at South Asians, Muslims and Sikhs” Community education toolkit documenting xenophobic rhetoric made in the political sphere (October 2008 Update)
- Documented Incidents of Xenophobia and Intolerance in Political Discourse --Part 2: Comments Aimed at South Asian Candidates for Political Office” Community education toolkit documenting xenophobic rhetoric made in the political sphere (October 2008 Update)
- Documented Incidents of Xenophobia and Intolerance in Political Discourse --Part 3: Tips for Community Members Responding to Xenophobic Rhetoric” (October 2008 Update)
- Addressing and Responding to Bias Related to Outsourcing Factsheet
- Hate Crimes: A Quick Information Sheet for South Asians
- Hate Crimes: Community Wide Impact Factsheet
- Letter in Support of Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (2007)
